Red Sox's Napoli Spurs 7-Run Inning With Broken-Bat Homer
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Mike Napoli started a seven-run fourth inning with a broken-bat homer and Justin Masterson allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings as the Boston Red Sox rolled to a 14-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
Napoli had his bat sawed off on an inside pitch from Brian Duensing. The Red Sox went on to score six more times in the inning off Duensing. Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia hit run-scoring doubles.
"It was a weird feeling," Napoli said. "I think the bat might have broken the last time I was up because it just exploded in my hands."
The outburst was some good news after the Red Sox placed catcher Christian Vazquez on the 60-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain earlier in the day. Vazquez will get a second opinion Wednesday from orthopedist James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla., and could be facing season-ending Tommy John ligament-reconstruction surgery.
Masterson scattered five hits while striking out four and walking one. He had given up nine runs in 12 1-3 innings in his previous four starts.
Twins reliever Blaine Boyer made an emergency start and pitched 1 2-3 innings in place of Kyle Gibson, who had the flu.
Boyer found out he was starting just a few hours after the Twins told him he had made the team and been added to the 40-man roster.
"It was a load off my shoulders when they told me," Boyer said. "It was one of those surreal moments for me. I'm very excited to be in the big leagues."
The 33-year-old Boyer has pitched in parts of eight major league seasons with five teams and had a 3.57 ERA for the San Diego Padres last year in 32 appearances. The Twins signed him during the offseason to a minor league contract and he has allowed just two runs in 12 1-3 spring innings.
He gets a $750,000 salary while in the major leagues and $100,000 while in the minors. He can earn $100,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 each for 35, 40, 45 and 50 games pitched.
Gibson will not make another start until he is at least healthy enough to first throw a bullpen, manager Paul Molitor said. ... C Josmil Pinto caught three innings in a minor league exhibition game Monday after passing concussion tests earlier in the day but there is not yet a timetable for when he will play in a major league game.
LHP Tommy Milone will pitch Tuesday at home against the New York Yankees and RHP Masahiro Tanaka.
